Council approves ground lease extension for Yucca Library expansion tied to GO bond funds

The Phoenix City Council voted unanimously to extend the ground lease for the Yucca Library property to enable a GO bond‑funded expansion of the building.

City staff explained the city owns the library building but leases the land from a private owner. The lease extension is required to secure a larger footprint for the expansion funded by the voter‑approved general obligation bond. “We received funding in the last GO bond to increase the size of the library at Yucca, and we do rent the land that that library is on,” City staff said in the presentation.

Councilwoman Laura Pastor sponsored a stipulation tied to her approval: if a separate adjacent parcel on Nineteenth Avenue in the Montebello area becomes available for a city library through a future RFP process, the council requested staff consider repurposing the expanded Yucca Library building for other city uses such as a heat‑relief/respite center. Pastor said the motion reflected long‑term best interests for library access and neighborhood needs.

The council approved the lease extension by roll call vote (8–0), with the record showing the stipulation captured in the minutes for future consideration as part of planning for the Yucca expansion.

The council action clears a property‑and‑leasing obstacle so construction planning can proceed with bond funds; the lease remains subject to existing lease termination provisions described in staff remarks.

This article is based on the meeting transcript of the May 21, 2025 Phoenix City Council meeting.